Threatened
by LittleMissLOL9000
Summary: When high school football/basketball superstar Troy Bolton meets troubled Gabriella Montez, he realizes there is more to her then what she allows the world to see. *Rated T for further content, language and just to be safe*
1. Chapter 1

**I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry! But, I'm back! And I have faith that this story is going to work! So, here's the first chapter of my new story!**

A high school football game. The score: 21 to 28 in the fourth quarter, 7 minutes and 28 seconds left in the game. The Varsity football players waiting for the perfect play to score the one-of-a-kind touchdown to tie the game. If they won, they would go on to the playoffs but, so far, nothing but fumbles, flags and failure since the quarter started. The East High Wildcats just could not seem to pull it together, to be quite honest, they showed now sign of being able to pull this game off, even if they were only one touchdown away from going into overtime. It was a relief that the West High Knights, East High's rival, hadn't pulled out another run into the in zone with all of the mistakes the Wildcats were making on their own turf. West High had the ball. The players lined up at the 20 yard line. Suspense in the air once more. 3...2...1...HIKE!  
>And, just like that, a group of almost grown young man pushed and shoved, "West High's, #53, Bryce Jamison, throws down the field. It's caught by...WAIT A SECOND! Intercepted by East High's #14, Troy Bolton! (Think on that name...) He's running, he's running! Does he have what it takes to run it all the way? He's going, he's moving, he's running! Oh! and he's tackled down at the 11 yard line! That leads to a East High 1st down!"<p>

The crowd was up on it's feet, jumping and screaming. All except one girl dressed in jeans, a dark gray sweatshirt and everyday sneakers. A girl who'd had nothing better to do that night. That was why she was there. She had never been that interested in football, but there was nothing else she could have done that night. She had actually been enjoying the game until, about, 20 seconds into that last play. She was looking around frantically, searching for any sign of stillness. Stillness? At a football game? Yes. A non-moving human being, a death-like figure that could not be mistaken as someone you couldn't fear. Time seemed to be moving in slow motion for her. Chills running down her spine. He was here. In the stadium. And he was watching her. She knew he was. He was there and she didn't need any evidence to prove that. She knew he was there without even seeing him. The crowd was going crazy, but she had to get out of there.

3rd down. The Wildcats had moved forward even more and they were so close to tieing the game. The players lined up at the seven yard line, the stadium went quite. If anyone has ever been to a football game, they would know that that's something that doesn't usually happen. Did they have what it took to score a touchdown? Would they put this game into overtime? This was the play everyone had been waiting for...they hoped. Everyone stayed still. All except for that one girl. Standing up and walking out. The only person really moving at all.

3...2...1...HIKE! The crowd stayed silent, with only a few 'get em's' and 'run the ball's' filling the air. The tension in the silence, the girl walking away, the piercing grayish-blue eyes that watched her every movement from the crowd as she did and the play that brought disappointment and jealousy as the ball landed on the 2 yard line bringing the game to an end.

East High School. A two story building colored Red and White, the school colors. The smallest school in the state, mostly known for its Music Program. Students were filling the hallways on that Monday morning as early as 7:00am. Some were more awake then others as it usually is on a Monday morning. The musicians came in carried sheet music and instruments; mostly guitars. Math freaks came in usually glued to a calculator with a pencil in their mouth. Jocks came in mostly in low jeans and swinging their car keys in a circle around their fingers. By 7:15am most of the school was in attendance. Lockers were closing with loud bangs, cussing could be heard all over and at exactly 7:23am, Troy Bolton walked through the giants double doors that opened at closed at the North end of the main hallway. He was accompanied by a small group of girls, most likely cheerleaders, and had a few members of the football team at his heels. Troy wasn't the most popular boy in school, but he was pretty damn close. If you walked past the group, one would here Matthew Davison, co-captain of the football team, still complaining about the game that had taking place on Friday night.

"You had the ball, Troy. You could have done it." Matthew said as if he'd been saying it all day.

"I told you, I got tackled down before the ball reached the inzone," Anyone with a Troy could tell that Troy was getting tired of saying. But, no one could blame Matthew for being upset about it. This was the 6th years in a row that the East High Wildcats had missed going to the playoffs all because of the last game.

"I'm just saying...You couldn't have moved at least 2 or three yards forward?"

Troy looked down. He hated losing games for the team and this hadn't been the first time he'd made a stupid play at the end of a game. People would often complain about him even being on the Varsity football team, often saying that he should been on the Freshman Team. Sure, the kid had talent. Maybe if he had a little potential in him, he would be better. But he hadn't told anyone that there was a reason he'd lost this game and it wasn't because of his stupidity.

Matthew tapped Troy on the shoulder in a very man-friendly way, "Hey, why the long face? You're still a valuable player," Matthew starting walking away, "You better join again next season or we'll have lost our best 'mistake player'"

Troy rolled his eyes and watched Matthew as he walked down the hallway. Troy stopped at his locker and pulled a few things from it, and started walking towards his first period class. Turning a corner, he saw a girl at the end of the hallway, walking in the opposite direction of him. It was the same girl he'd seen at the game. The same one that had broken his concentration. Not because of her looks, but because she was the only person who was literally moving at the final play of the game. The reason he'd lost the game for the team. He had spent the whole night wondering why she had left the game so suddenly. Of course, it was none of his business, but he had found it a bit peculiar that she had been there the entire game and left so suddenly on the last tackle.

She had her head down, her arms crossed against her chest, walking rather quickly for a high school student at East High. Her long, curly, dark-chocolate brown hair flowing behind her and, as she walked passed Troy, he could tell that she had been crying. But, if he had looked any closer, he would have seem the thin, small cuts on the side of her cheek.

It was a pain having Calculus first period, especially when it was with Mrs. Wilson. She was not the worst teacher in the school, but she wasn't the brightest either. But, she was indeed the youngest, meaning that most of the guys would fawn over her. She had only been teaching at East High for a little over 3 years and, let's just say, she was not the best teacher in the world. Her teaching style was slow and boring. She only ever gave projects, never just regular homework and she had a small problem with picking favorites, particularly Troy's best friend Chad Danforth.

"Good morning class," Mrs. Wilson said as the start-of-class bell rang, "Please open your books to page 257 and get out paper, a pencil, a ruler and a calculator.

Troy was sitting in the farthest back seat possible. He couldn't stand Mrs. Wilson. She was too... strange for him to even consider sitting in the first few rows of seats. Chad seemed to be ill that day since he would have usually been next to Troy, making class more tedious then it normally was.

The class was uneventful as if usually was. No one spoke or answered questions. No one ever said anything in her class. They either slept or pretended to jot down notes for the sake of her thinking they weren't paying attention and when the bell rang, they would all rush out of the their seats and cram through the small, squeaky door as quickly as possible.

Passing period was always interesting as East High. People would talk of gossip-y things that were usually completely made up and sometimes fights would even start, all in the short 5 minutes that they had to get to their next class.

Troy was walking to class a slowly as possible, ignoring the "nice game of Friday's" and the "Nice try," comments that would often been thrown his way. He wasn't looking were he was going. He wasn't even sure if he was headed toward the right class. He kept thinking about that girl. He knew it was none of his business. He knew he shouldn't care, but he knew for a fact that she had been crying earlier that day. Why did he all of a sudden seem so infatuated with this girl? This girl he had never spoken to in his life. Sure, he had seen her around, she was in his American Sign Language class, but he'd never actually talked to her. He didn't even know her name.

As if it were fate or destiny, he turned a corner and knocked into someone. Both of them falling to the floor, books and utensils flying everywhere. Some students passed by and laughed while others simply walked by, not caring. Troy looked up and there she was. That girl. She made him loose the game and he couldn't seem to figure out why other then her getting up and leaving during the last play of the game. She started cleaning and picking up her things that had fallen.

Troy come out of his trace, seeing what she was doing, "I'm so sorry. Let me help you with that."

He picked up a few of her notebooks and nearly as soon as he touched them, she ripped them out of his hands, "What the hell?" He said, "I'm trying to help."

"I don't need your help," the girl spoke in a quiet and shaky voice. It was the first time Troy had ever heard her talk. Well, if he was ever going to talk to her, this would be the time.

"Aren't you...?"

"No." She rudely interrupted with a little bit of a stronger voice then what she had answered with earlier. She picked up her bag, filling it with text books and walking away.

"Hey! I just wanted to know..." Troy yelled after her, but she had disappeared into the ocean of chaotic students. Troy went through the rest of the day, thinking, trying to figure out if he'd said something offensive to her, but he hadn't more then at least 10 words to her. In his last class of the day, AP English/Literature 12, he promised himself that, tomorrow in ASL, he would figure out her name. It wasn't until school had officially ended and he had gone to his locker that he realized she'd taken something of his when they had fallen. She'd taken his Football Cup. You know, the thing that goes down in a man's "area" during a game. He'd meant to take it to the gym that morning, but he'd never gotten around to it and now she had it. He wouldn't mind if she had accidentally taken anything else, but his football cup? Of all the things she could have picked up, she had to pick up that?

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><p><strong>So, yeah. That's my opening. What do you think? Think I should continue? REVIEW!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I hope you guys liked the first chapter. Here is the second!**

Hunting her down the next day was harder then Troy could have ever imagined. Not only did he not have her in any classes other then ASL, which was at the complete end of the day, but no one seemed to know who she was. He asked, what seemed like, practically the entire school, "Have you seen a quiet girl with dark-brown hair?"  
>But, how could anyone know her just by that description. There was quiet, dirty blondes by the thousands at East High that the persons response was usually, "Which?"<p>

Having given up hope and laughing at himself for being so worried about his football cup, he took his time walking to lunch and there, for the first time that day, he saw her, running out of the cafeteria. Her bag on her shoulder, her food tray in her hands. So, quite obviously, he ran after her.

"Hey!"

But, she didn't slow down. She kept on running and sooner then later, she picked up speed. This girl was fast and many people had often wondered why. She wasn't on the track team, it was just a natural, God-given talent that she was an amazing runner and, Troy, even being the football player that he was, found it hard to keep up with her.

They had been running for nearly five minutes, when she finally, but abruptly stopped right in front of him, "What?" She said in more of an annoyed yell type of voice.

"Take it easy," Troy said, catching his breath, "You took something from me..."

"I haven't taken anything from you!" She almost sounded offended. He hadn't meant to offend her.

"If you would just let me finish my sentence..." I attempted to say.

"Why would I want anything that belongs to you!"

What was her problem? He hadn't said anything bad had he? No, he hadn't. There was no reason for her to be acting like this. No reason at all, "Listen to me..."

"I don't want to listen to you!" She yelled.

"Will you just listen to me?" Troy was starting to loose his temper.

"Why should I listen to you? Why should I listen to anybody? I don't want to listen to anyone!"

"Listen to..."

"Why, why, why...?"

She was reminding him of Pinocchio, but a much more annoying Pinocchio, "LISTEN TO ME!" He screamed so loudly the hallway echoed.

He looked her directly into the eyes. Those eyes. He saw so many emotions in those eyes and not very pleasant ones at that. But, the utmost one that he saw was fear. Fear of something he couldn't put a finger on.

He lowered his voice, "I'm sorry..."

"Yeah, everybody seems to be sorry for me these days."

He tried not to sound annoyed as he lowered his voice even more so and reached a hand out to her and grabbed her arm as gently as he could, "I'm sorry. But, you accidentally took something from me and..."

"I haven't taken anything from you," she said sternly, pulling out of his grip, "Why does everyone blame everything on me? Sure, blame everything on 'little miss vulnerable!' 'Little miss unsocial!' I haven't done anything! I haven't done anything to anyone!"

"Okay...okay..." Troy was starting to get scared, no matter how tough he was. Was this girl mental? Of course she hadn't done anything. Why would he blame her for anything? But, he wasn't blaming her. She really had taken his cup. Wait...vulnerable? He could definitely see unsocial, but vulnerable? There was no way this girl was vulnerable.

"I haven't done anything," She whispered, though it was barely audible. She put her back against the wall and broke down in sobs right in front of Troy. Why was she crying? Letting the manly instinct kick in, Troy knelt down before her trying to comfort her, but she simply pulled any from him and hid her face in her hands.

"I'm not blaming you for anything. Nothing at all," He tried to be as comforting as possible and when he knew he had a chance to touch her, he put a hand on the top of her head and soothingly rubbed it. It wasn't anything sensual, it wasn't anything sexual. He was hurting watching this girl. There was defiantly something going on behind the scenes for this girl, a skeleton in the closet, a monster under the bed, a secret she refused to get help with.

He kept stroking her head and she gingerly looked up at him. her eyes shimmering in the light, filled with...what almost looked like hatred, "Is there something you want to talk about?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Rephrase. Is there something you _need _to talk about?"

After a moment of hesitation, again, another head shake.

The hesitation. That, there, spoke more then words every could. She was hiding something. Something that was obviously eating her alive. Troy didn't know why he was so interested in helping her, but he couldn't seem to stop, "Well, if you ever need to talk..."

"I don't want to talk to you," She said, her voice coming back to her, and her tears stopping, "I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't _need _to talk to anyone!" She raised her voice.

Troy backed away taking his hand off of her. His eyes widening. She needed to talk. He could tell. She started crying in front of him again, so hard that her mouth formed the shape of an upside down "U." He tried this time...I tried to lean in and give her a hug, but she pushed him away, "Get a away from me."

He tried again, leaning in, trying to hug her.

"Get away from me," She pushed him away again.

He tried again.

This time she got to her feet, pushing him with an amount of force he'd never felt from any girl young or old, "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! I don't need anyone's help! I don't need anyone's comfort, especially from someone who doesn't care!"

Troy tried to speak, but she kept right on talking.

"I don't want anyone in my life! It's too much! It's too much..." Her voice trailer off and she looked at the floor.

He slowly and carefully pulled her into his arms and she was completely against his chest before she reacted, "WHAT PART OF GET AWAY FROM ME DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?"

He tried once again, but she slapped him clean across the face, nearly knocking him to the ground. Her hair was in front of her face, her eyes widened at a realization at what she had down she ran down the hallway in the other direction. This time, Troy knew better then to follow her. He would see her next period anyway.

ASL. American Sign Language. Troy's favorite class this year. He loved the signs and the facial expressions. Even his teacher was better then most. The bell rang and the girl still had not walked in. Class had gone on for approximately 45 minutes, they were going over Thanksgiving signs, when the girl walked in, handing a letter to the teacher and walking to her usual desk in the back of the room.

Class went on for another fifteen minutes, "Excuse me? Mrs. Sanders?" A small voice said from the back of the room and Troy didn't need to look back to know who it was. He'd heard that voice enough to remember it.

"Yes, Gabriella?"

Gabriella. So, that was her name.

"May I use the restroom?"

"No, you walked in late. You owe me your time."

"But, Mrs. Sanders...it's an emergency..." Gabriella said, moving her hands in front of her in a circular motion. Troy didn't need any words to understand what that meant. Was that why she was so stressed and mean earlier? She was just PMS-ing? Mrs. Sanders gave a stern look, "Alright, but you have five minutes."

"Thank you," Gabriella said as she rushed out of the room, earning a few laughs from the other classmates. Troy saw something hidden in her sweatshirt pocket. Something he hoped no one else had seen.

_Was that a pregnancy test?_

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><p><strong>Ooh! So what do you guys think? Should I keep going?<strong>

**REVIEW!**

**Btw…what story would you guys like to see me continue? Out of the ones that I've already started?**


	3. Chapter 3

**I feel like such a scumbag for being gone for so long! I am sooooooooooo sorry! I'm really trying! Hope this chapter will make it up to you!**

"_Thank you," Gabriella said as she rushed out of the room, earning a few laughs from the other classmates, but Troy saw something hidden in her sweatshirt pocket. Something he hoped no one else had seen. _

_Was that a pregnancy test?_

He hoped it wasn't, not that he cared, but after seeing her break down in front of him earlier, he'd found sympathy for her. Sympathy he couldn't explain.

Class went on. 5 minutes...10 minutes...30 minutes...and still no sign of Gabriella. Where could she possibly have gone? If that was, indeed, a pregnancy test she was hiding in her pocket, she was probably crying again.

"Alright, that's all I needed to teach you today, you can do whatever for the rest of the period," Mrs. Sanders pronounced.

Students stood up, stretching, others starting reading pleasure reads: _Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Twilight..._Troy, on the other hand, decided to see if his cup was in Gabriella's bag. Making his way over there and started rummaging through her things. He was papers, he saw books, he saw tampons...maybe she was just on her period...he saw gum, he saw keys, he saw a knife, he saw notebooks, he saw...wait, a knife? What was she doing with a knife? He slowly grabbed the knife and placed it in his pocket. Why he took it, he'd never know. Then, he saw it. His cup. He reached for it...

"What are you doing?"

Perfect timing...she was back from the bathroom and running over to him, furious. She looked like a running back going for a tackle. He placed the cup up in front of her and starting shaking it in her face as if to say, 'I told you so.' She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Where did you get that?"

Troy smiled cheekily, "I told you that you took my cup."

Gabriella's face turned bright red and most of their fellow classmates started giggling, "Well, there, you have it. No need to bother me anymore."

The bell rang, signaling the end of class, but Troy didn't move. He stared at Gabriella, but she had different thoughts, "I'd like to get my bag and leave class if you don't mind!" She said, nearly shoving him out of the way. He wasn't surprised by it at all, he was already used to her bitch-attitude. Why was she such a smart-alec? What she always that way? Whatever, I wasn't any of his business, he had to let it go.

Troy decided to take the bus home, the type of bus that drops you at a specific spot in the city and you go home from there. The bus ride was just like any other, loud obnoxious students and sleeping students. Troy was neither of these. He would stare out the window most of the time and try to think of something else, other then what the crazy people were saying behind him.

Reaching his stop and getting off the bus, he started heading in the direction of home. I was about a 30 minutes walk, if he had a car it would probably be about 10 minutes, but it didn't bother him. Walking helped him think. It wasn't long before he was passing the SuperMarket, only 8 blocks to go, it didn't hurt him to walk that far, after all, he was quite in shape. But, that was when he heard it, the sound that forever changed the course of his life. The scream of a young woman.

Troy stopped in his tracks and listened. Another scream. It seemed to be coming from around the corner and he debated whether or not to interfere. Does that girl really need help? What if she does? His instinct getting the better of him, he turned around and decided to take the long way home. It was only 14 blocks the long way. It didn't make much of a difference.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE!"

Troy stopped. He knew the voice. He knew it all too well. What was happening around the corner?

"LET GO OF ME! PLEASE! PLEASE! GO AWAY!"

Troy started walking in the direction of the sound. What was happening! Another loud, bone-chilling scream came from the other side of the corner. Troy stopped in his tracks once again. He knew that girl. But, should he step in? She'd been pretty clear that she didn't want anyone in her business. Troy looked from the corner, then behind him to the way home, then back to the corner. Being the football player that he was, he broke out into a full sprint towards the shrilling screams. He stopped when he reached the part of the building where the two sides connected and he listened for a few seconds.

"Please..." Came a whisper.

"You know what you need to do," That was a voice that Troy had never heard before. The voice of a man, a man with a very deep, baritone voice.

"I already did! Don't make me do it again...please," It was her, Troy new it was her. Who else has that voice full of fear?

With that, there was another small yelp of utter dismay, a loud thud, and a silence that was even more chilling then the screams that had been penetrating the air only seconds earlier. Troy took a cautious step forward and peered around the corner, there, crouched against the wall, with blood dripping off of her face, was Gabriella, just as he'd predicted. Rushing to her side, he gently grabbed her arm, attempting to help her.

"NO!" She screamed, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Troy backed away. Was she talking about him or the man that was just there?

"I'VE DONE IT ALREADY! DON'T MAKE ME DO IT AGAIN! PLEASE!"

She was talking about the man. Troy tried to touch her again, but she refused to look at him.

"YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED! LEAVE ME!"

This time, Troy grabbed both of her arms, she squirmed, trying to get free, but he put his hand at the base of her chin, lifting her head up, making her look into his eyes.

She stopped wiggling to get free. She simply looked at him. Fear within her eyes.

Troy gingerly and slowly reached up and stroked her cheek, "What happened?"

Gabriella leaned into his touch, but it only lasted a second before she forcefully pulled away, "It's none of your business!"

She rose to her feet, attempting to get away, but she was too weak and she stumbled into his arms. He held her tight, "Why were you in the bathroom so long today?"

It felt like Gabriella had stopped breathing, "It wasn't that long..."

"You were in there for over 20 minutes, something had to be going on," Troy said as-a-matter-of-fact-ly.

"It was not that long!" Gabriella seemed to be getting her strength back already. How was she so shy yet so strong at the same time?

"Yes, it was. Believe me, I would know."

She stopped fidgeting. She stopped trying to get away.

"Were you throwing up?"

She looked him in the eyes, there was nothing there. Nothing but fear, as always.

"Were you just ditching class?"

She pushed away, "No! I may seem like a idiot, but I would never be stupid enough to ditch class!"

"Then what was happening?" Troy was getting annoyed, "You took far too long for a normal 'girl emergency!' I would know, my mom has done her duty in public bathrooms before. Guys are not stupid when it comes to girls and their periods!"

Gabriella looked away from him, but he kept staring right at her, "Was someone on campus?"

"What?" Gabriella asked, utterly confused.

"Was someone on campus who shouldn't have been? Was that man on campus?"

Gabriella looked Troy directly in the eyes again. Her chocolate covered eyes were showing anger just as much as fear now, "What man?"

"The man who just abused you!" Troy yelled, trying desperately to get an answer out of her.

"There was no man." She said in a stern voice, "and stay out of my business! What just went on here has nothing to do with you!" She turned and headed in the opposite direction of him.

Well, if he was going to ask, it might as well be now, "Then what was that in your pocket when you were walking to the bathroom?"

"There was nothing in my pocket," Though she kept walking forward, her speed slowed, as if she was frightened of something.

"Really...Then why was there a big, blue pregnancy test waiting there?"

Gabriella stopped in her tracks, she turned around, "Y-Yo-You-You saw that?"

Eyes widening, Troy took a step back, "Then it was one?"

She didn't need to say anything to get the answer. It was indeed a pregnancy test. That's why she was in the bathroom for so long, "So...are you? Are you...having a baby?"

Gabriella stepped closer to him, "What's it to you? You wouldn't care and you most defiantly wouldn't understand what is happening in my life because everyone I've ever explained it to has always left me in the dust!"

She had gotten louder the longer she spoke, "But, if you so desperately need to know...no, I'm not going to be a mother. Honest truth, but that's all I'm going to tell you and that's all you'll ever hear about the subject!"

She ran away from Troy and left him to gather his thoughts and for the first time on this walk home, he put his hand into his right jean pocket. _What the hell is that? _He took out the item and stared at the glittering, sharp metal in lying in the palm of his hand. He looked at the knife, then looks longingly into the distance at the fading Gabriella.

**REVIEW! I hope you liked it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! First of all…I would like to thank my good friend anime-on-replay for her generous feedback on my story. Seriously, she's a much better writer then I am, but thank you. I also want to tell you that this chapter is rather short and has hardly any dialogue. So, I bring you the next chapter of Threatened! Enjoy.**

Gabriella Montez walked home alone that day. She didn't want to think about it. Nothing could be done. She couldn't tell the cops for she had no evidence of what was happening in her life. She couldn't tell her friends because she had none and she most defiantly could not tell Troy for she wasn't about to drag anyone else into this hellhole. Walking down the street, she found herself looking at the abandoned park that she had always used to go to with her dad. Why was it abandoned you may ask? The playground became too dangerous for children and it was atop rigid land. As a kid, it had been her favorite place to go. The swings had swung the highest of any others, the slides were always shiny and slick and the rock-climbing wall was always ready to be scaled, but that was 13 years ago. Now, the swings were rusted so tight that they would make a terrible squeak whenever wind would blow. People now used the once beautiful slides as waste bins and throw gunk and garbage in them and the climbing wall was missing several holds, but there was one piece of equipment that, by some miracle, was still in good order and that was the old wooden tunnel. She and her father always used to play around it, before he…

_Snap! _She turned around, her heartbeat picking up speed. There was nobody there and no other sounds had been made. But, he was there. Just like that night at the football game, she didn't need to see him to know he was in the vicinity. She had been going through it long enough to know what it felt like when he was around. The way he made her body feel, the cool chill that would be sent through the air.

Not wanting to waste any time. Gabriella ran. She ran passed the lonely park and behind the nearest tree. A Weeping Willow. She debated on climbing it and was almost about to, before she realized that if she needed to run, there would be no way she would be able to get down quickly. Staying behind the Willow, she finally let the full fear take her. She could feel her body trembling; her air was hitched in her throat, the sweat dripping down her face. She did, however, have one weapon in her possession. A knife. She always kept it with her. Scrambling through her bag, her hands shaking, she searched for the particular silver item…but it was nowhere to be seen. _I never took it out of here. I wouldn't. _She didn't have to time to figure anything out, for she heard footsteps. Footsteps coming closer…and closer…and closer…they stopped…directly on the other side of the tree. Gabriella placed her hand over her mouth to stop her loud, terrified breath from being heard.

_No. God…please. No. _She heard them again, the footsteps coming around the side of the tree. Gabriella closed her eyes and began to feel lightheaded. She couldn't run, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. Fear was spreading within her, greater than any other fear she had felt before. Hearing the feet come to stop beside her, she stopped breathing, her hand still over her lips, she looked to her left and she saw…the most vicious cat-green eyes you could ever see…attached to a man…and he wanted her.

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><p>The minute Troy walked through the door of his two story house, he dropped his school bag on the floor and placed his keys, wallet…anything that was within his pants on the kitchen table and headed over the fridge to find something to munch on. His parents were always home late. His father was a coach at East High and would stay for meetings and conferences. His mother was a pharmacist; she was home even less than his dad.<p>

Finding a slice of yesterday's pizza dinner, Troy plopped it into the microwave and began getting other things to eat. Once the pizza was finished heating up, he took it out, grabbed everything else and went to sit in front of the TV, hoping to find something worthwhile on. As soon as his butt touched the soft couch, he felt a sharp pain in his back side.

"What the hell…" he muttered to himself as he reached into his left-back-pocket and pulled out a particular silver item. A knife. Why he hadn't given it back…he didn't know. He figured it would be better for her. He didn't want to believe that she would do anything like that to herself. He didn't believe in taking pain away like that. Thus far, he was doing her a favor, or at least he hoped he was. He would never know either. During his walk home, he had made up his mind…he was going to stay out of her life. It wasn't his business what was happening with Gabriella Montez. She was a mystery and would forever remain a mystery to him. Though he was curious about her situation, he decided to leave it be.

* * *

><p>4 hours later…<p>

Troy hadn't even remembered falling asleep, all he knew was that he woke up to glare of the TV and his arm draped over the side of couch. He sat up rubbed his eyes and reached for the clicker, turning off the TV and whatever lame program it was showing. He looked around, obviously in utter confusion. It was 8:00pm. When had he fallen asleep? Of course it could happen to anyone, but it always felt weird. Hearing a door upstairs close, he wondered if either of his parents had returned home yet.

Raising from his comfortable place on the couch and looking around, "Dad?"

No response.

Confusion passing over him again, he walked in the direction of the base of the staircase, putting his hand on the railing and leaning over to look up, "Mom?"

No response.

Feeling a slight tingle go through his body, Troy proceeded to climb the stairs. "Mom? Dad? Are you home?"

Upon hearing creaking in the hardwood floor ahead, he stopped in his tracks. The sound seemed to be coming from his room, "Hello?"

Taking a deep breath, he proceeded to the top, occasionally glancing behind him. Reaching his half-closed bedroom door, he grasped the handle and peered inside. There was no one. Opening the door all the way and going in further, he was surprised to hear gasps of breath…that was not his.

Now, seeing for the first time, that his bathroom light was on, he started gasping. _Guys can get scared right? _Gathering up all the courage he had, he looked around the doorframe of the bathroom wall and saw the pleading eyes of a terrified brunette, soaked from head to toe.

Though shocked, he somehow managed to act on any adrenaline that was left in him and leapt to the girl's side, "Oh my god…"

**Review please! Tell me what you think...is it even worth continuing? How was that anime-on-replay**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello Again! I'm actually pretty happy about the way this chapter turned out. I had to give it a lot of thought as to how I wanted it to play out. I just wanted to let you guys know that the sexual content in this chapter is as far as I'm going with that type of content. So, if you don't like it, don't say I didn't warn you. Enjoy the chapter!**

He knelt down next to her, the crying girl sitting in an awkward position on his bathroom floor_. How did she get in? What does she want? Why did she come to me?_ All of these questions were running through his head and he attempted to place his hand to cup her cheek, but she flinched away. It was only at this moment that Troy realized what was upon her. This terrified young girl was drenched with, not water…but blood.

Feeling the air leave him, Troy ran from the room to grab a towel from the hall closet and his cell to phone the ER and an extra toothbrush. What happened to her? If it had been anyone else dripping with blood, he most likely wouldn't have cared and just called the ER, but he knew this girl and now he was certain that she was hiding something. He didn't have any evidence before, when he had assumed something was going on with her, but now he knew for sure and was determined to figure it out. Racing back to his bathroom, he placed the items he had picked up on the sink. Hands shaking, he kept the phone in hand and starting dialing 9-1-1, but before he could finish typing in the three, small digits, Gabriella hand came out of nowhere, knocking the phone out of his hands. Shocked, he looked at her. He gazed at her blood-stained clothes and looked deeply into her eyes, as if looking for an answer. There was nothing there, in fact, there was less there than normal. She almost had the characteristics of a Zombie. Looking down at Gabriella, he quickly forgot all the promises he had made to himself only hours before and got onto his knees. He put his arm around her, preparing to lift her up…she was trembling, he felt it. He placed his other arm underneath her slim legs and began to lift her up.

"AAAHHH!" She let out a shrill scream of pain that echoed off of the walls. It made his heart ache and he was sure the neighbors probably heard it. Attempting to be gentler with her, he placed her tender body on the seat of the toilet.

Troy went back to the sink and dampened the towel, then trying to clean up her blood, but she, like earlier, flinched away, "Gabriella…"

She looked away.

"Gabriella, you need to let me do something…"

No response.

"Can you speak?"

No response.

Wanting to make sure she hadn't lost her memory or damaged her brain in anyway, he started asking her the usual questions, "What's the date?"

But, instead of speaking, she started moving her hands around, refusing to look at him.

_ASL. She's so smart!_ And Troy started reading her hands…O-C-T 2-2…

"October 22nd, that's right," Troy said, lightly smiling, "What's your name?"

G-A-B-R-I-E-L-L-A M-O-N-T-E-Z.

"Okay…what's my name?"

Hesitating in the slightest, she started once again, T-R-O-Y…B-U-L…..B-O-L-T-O-N.

Somehow, Troy found himself signing his own name with her, "Very good. How old are you?"

1-7.

_17? I thought she was younger…_ "….What happened, Gabriella."

For the first time, since he had found her there, she looked at him directly, the hurt still within her eyes. He could tell she wanted to tell him, but was too afraid of saying anything.

"Who did this to you?"

Now, all she was doing was staring at him.

"Are you going to tell me anyting?"

She shook her head…no. She wasn't going to tell him a thing.

"Gabriella," he said tenderly, rubbing his hand up and down her cheek, "How am I supposed to help you? I can only help you if you help me."

Still…no response.

Troy was started to get aggravated, "There has to be a reason you came to me."

No response. Just the dead look in her eyes. Troy dropped his hand lower and pressed it against her neck to make sure her heart was still beating…it was. As a matter of fact, it was pounding and somehow he knew that it wasn't from his touch. Wanting to comfort her, he grabbed her hand, lacing her fingers. This was the most contact he'd ever had with her and she wasn't pushing him away, "Gabriella…please…talk to me."

Another shake of the head.

Well, if she's not going to tell me anything then there's not much more I can do. Troy stood up and reached for his phone and began to type in those dreadful numbers again.

"No!"

His head snapped back to Gabriella and he was shocked by was he saw. She was trying to get onto her feet, reaching for the phone, trying to stop him from dialing the numbers yet again. It was a dreadful sight to see. She almost looked like The Grudge, if you understand that reference. Blood all over her, she made jerky movements and her head looked like it wasn't fully attached anymore. She managed to put one foot on the solid ground, clinging desperately to the countertop of the sink, but when she tried to put her other foot on the ground, her legs gave way.

Opening in arms, she fell into him and he brought her back down to the ground, his back to the wall, letting her sit lightly upon his legs, he grabbed the damp towel that he still had clenched tightly in his hand, started wiping her scars, wounds and anything else that was covered in, now, nearly dry blood.

Holding her tightly, but gently, Troy decided to try talking to her again, "What happened?"

For the first time since he could remember, she spoke full words, though she was mumbling, he could make them out pretty clearly, "Nothing you need to worry about."

He had expected a response like this once he got her to talk again, "Are you going to make me guess?"

She looked him straight in the eyes and he looked back, "Did someone hurt you?"

She looked away from him again and Troy thought he'd gotten his answer until he felt her body become tense. Confused, Troy looked down at his hand; he hadn't realized how sensually he'd been touching her. _Why did that cause her to become tense?_ When he looked down he realized, for the first time, that the top of her blue jeans was unbuttoned.

"Gabriella…" He said, moving his hand, "Did someone touch you?"

She looked at him again.

"Did someone touch you in a way that you don't want to be touched?"

She didn't break eye contact, she didn't move, Troy couldn't even tell if she was breathing. He didn't want to do this, but since she wasn't giving him an answer, he lowered his hand…lower and lower, never breaking eye contact with her.

He brought her as close to her as she could and whispered in her ear, "Gabriella…did someone touch you…here?"

He brought one finger up to her utmost private part. She was still clothed of course, he would never really touch her there without her permission…

Her eyes widened and she screamed again, pushing away from him and curling into a ball in the corner. That was it. Someone had touched her…used her…abused her in some way. He only hoped that it wasn't a parent.

"…No…" Gabriella whispered from across the room, "Not like that…"

She started crawling over to Troy , but he was confused, was there more to it? He hoped not. Once she had crawled all the way over to him again, she reached for his hand and grabbed it before saying, "More like this…"

With that, she took his hand down lower and placed it inside of her panties. Troy tried to pull away, but she wasn't allowing it. So, he stayed there and he felt her, all of her. With all honesty, he felt more than he wanted to. He looked up at her and upon realizing that she had tears streaming down her face, pulled his hand away, "What are you doing?"

"You wanted to know!"

"I didn't need you to do that! I didn't realize you were that kind of girl!"

Her face went stiff, "What kind of girl?"

Looking at her face and all of her features he was about to reply, when the sound of the front door closing startled both of them, " Troy, I'm home."

I was his father, Jack Bolton, and if any father was overprotective about their son being alone with girls, I was his father. Panicking slightly, Troy quickly picked up Gabriella, who let out another scream.

"Troy? What's going on up there?"

Troy carried Gabriella to his closest and placed her down gently, she whimpered, "Shh…shh…I'll be back," and he closed the door, making sure to leave it open slightly for her to have air, then rushed downstairs to see his father.

"Dad," Troy said, trying to put on the best fake smile.

"Troy , what was that noise? It sounded like a scream," Troy 's father asked, looking up the stairs as if waiting for some creature to come into view.

"…Yes…yes that was a scream."

Jack started walking towards the stairs, still looking up them, "Who's up there?"

"No one's up there…" Troy was starting to panic.

"Then why was there a woman's scream?"

Crap! Uh… "It was a movie. That's the scream you heard."

Jack looked unconvinced, "What movie?"

Damn it! "The….uh….The Grudge...sorry...Paranormal Activity...2," Troy said, holding up two fingers to indicate '2.' Troy laughed nervously, "...Forgot what movie I was watching..."

"Really?" Troy nodded frantically, "I don't remembr that scream being in there...but then again, I haven't seen it in years."

Troy felt his body relax. Thank God. He didn't need his father poking around upstairs, especially when there was most defiantly something or someone up there.

"Have you eaten?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, I had some of that pizza from last night."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Father stared at son and vice versa.

"Okay…dad…I'm going to…go finish my homework," Troy said, nearly running up the stairs not caring if his father suspected anything.

**REVIEW! Tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi! Sorry I've been gone for so long! School is making me act like a mad-woman and tons of homework coming my way. Dead week is this week and finals are next week so I should be able to upload more regularly over the next few weeks. Just a warning, there is a small sexual thing in this chapter just like the last one. Again, it's not that bad at all. Hope you like this chapter!**

_"Okay…dad…I'm going to…go finish my homework," Troy said, nearly running up the stairs not caring if his father suspected anything._

There was a loud bang from upstairs which cause Troy to run even faster. _What the heck was that? _But Troy didn't have time to think about it. Once reaching the top and entering the place Troy called his bedroom, he quickly shut the door and locked it, trying to be as quiet as humanly possible, but that was not working out too well. Leaning his head on the white, wooden door, closing his eyes, Troy took in a deep breath, letting himself relax, but how could he when all he could think of was _how to get the girl out, how to get the girl out? _

Opening his eyes and looking around the room…the closet door was ajar! She'd gotten out! But where? When? Allowing himself to panic, he started rampaging around his own room, but could find no trace of her anywhere. _Where the hell is she? _

He was looking underneath is bed when he felt the slightest breeze reach his face. Where was the air coming from? Bringing his eyes up, he noticed the window wide open, the curtains blowing ever so slightly, but hardly any sound coming from that area. Racing to the window, he looked out. She was nowhere to be seen. _How did she get down? We have a two-story house, but there are no vines or anything she could have used. _He didn't care if his dad was home…Troy was determined to help this girl. He put his right leg over and onto the other side of the window, holding the railing for support, nerves racing through him. He brought his left leg up and over until he was sitting on the edge, overlooking his back yard, nerves running through his blood. _Jump…just jump…how else could she have gotten down? _Taking a deep breath, he prepared for the jump. _One…Two…Thr-_

"What are you doing?"

_What the hell…_The small feminine voice had almost caused Troy to lose his balance, turning around, he saw the girl he'd almost jumped out of a two story house for. She'd cleaned herself up somehow and he was at a loss for words, "I…how…you…here," He was panting like crazy.

"What?" She stayed were she was.

Finally mastering the ability to speak, which he'd learnt long ago, "Why…why is the window open?"

"Uh...It got stuffy. I needed some air."

"Oh my god…I thought…" Troy rubbed the sweat off his head. _I'm an idiot! Of course she jumped out of a two-story building! Come on Troy…Think!_

"You thought I ran."

Troy looked her in the eyes and she locked hers with his. Something, he realized, they seemed to do quite often.

"You thought I jumped and ran…" She took a deep breath, clearly trying to hold back sobs, "Do you really think I'm that stupid? To jump out of an open window?"

"I don't know yet…" Troy said.

Gabriella mumbled something, Troy couldn't make it out, but he was almost certain she said, 'I wanted to."

Troy put it aside for now, "Where were you? I looked everywhere."

"Well I...I opened the window for a little fresh air and when I heard someone running up the stairs, I hid in the bathroom!" She'd gotten louder

"Okay! Okay…shh…quiet down…" Troy breathed in slowly, until he realized what she said, "In the bathroom? I checked everywhere in there!"

"I have my ways."

_What? _"What are you…_Thor_ or something?" _Who the hell was this girl?_

"No."

Troy, still sweating like there was no tomorrow, looked at her and for the first time since he met her, noticed how cute she really was and scars couldn't hide that.

"Are you going to come back inside or just hang out there?"

Her voice brought him out of his thoughts and he realized he was still sitting on the winder sill. Looking down, his breath caught in his throat like it had minutes earlier. Clearing his throat "…Right…"

Climbing back over the edge of the window proved to be a little more challenging then he thought it would be and, losing his balance, he fell backwards, into the comfort and safety of his room. Laying on the ground for a few minutes, he heard her walk in his direction, which caused him to look up. She was sitting her knees and he all of a sudden felt his breath catch in his throat again, but this time, for some reason, it felt good, "You cleaned up?"

She looked down at her small framed and back at him, slightly smiling, "Yeah."

Her sat up slowly, her smile making him smile, "You look nice."

Her smile showed her pearly teeth this time, "Thank you."

He locked eyes with her again, "You know, I've never seen you smile before?"

Her smile faded, until it completely dropped, Troy became concerned again. Gabriella looked away, but she was slightly blushing, "Not many people have…"

Troy allowed his right hand to reach out to her, putting all of his weight on his left. She turned her face even farther away from him, causing her hair to cover it. He stopped his hand for a moment and then reached toward her again, slower than before. If there was one thing he'd learned about this girl, it was that you had to be gentle with her. After what seemed like forever, he finally cupped the cheek that was turned from him, bringing her beautiful hazel eyes to look at him again, "Keep it. I like it."

Gabriella's smile came back to her face and she blushed again.

There was still one question on Troy's mind; he didn't want to scare her away though, but what better way to do it then to ask? "Are you ready to tell me?"

Gabriella's face tilted to the side, showing that she was confused, "Tell you what?"

His hand was still grasping her tinted red cheek, "What happened."

Her smiled dropped again, Troy sighed, knowing he'd made a wrong move. Gabriella pulled away from him, "You wish," She said sternly.

She stood to walk away from him, but Troy was having none of it. He grabbed hold of her wrist, "Gabriella."

She stopped in her tracks, her wrist in his hand.

"I won't tell a soul."

Gabriella turned around to face him, her smile had completely vanished, her face was colorless and her eyes held nothing but sorrow. There was the face Troy knew so well, but now he knew it wasn't the face he wanted. He missed the smile, the redness, the happiness the gleamed when she was uplifted. She leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Until I know that I can trust you, you're not getting anything out of me."

Troy looked her in the eyes yet again. He saw the way her eyes glistened in the star light, the way she smirked at him. Okay, let's be honest. She wasn't just cute, she was downright sexy, but he didn't have time to think that way, "Nothing?"

"Nothing." Gabriella was barely audible by now, "Not even this…" Gabriella gently rested her hand on the space between this legs.

Troy hadn't been expecting that, but he let her stay there. In any other situation he probably would have been turned on by that, but he was too confused at the moment…but how would she respond if he played along?

"What if I want something like that?" He slowly started running his fingers through the damaged ends of her hair.

They were closer now, closer then they'd ever been before, "Well, then sucks for you, because you're not going to get it from me."

Troy ran his other hand down her arm, "And why's that?"

Gabriella started playing with his hair, "Because I said so."

What was happening? Why was she all of a sudden allowing him to get close to her? Why was she all of a sudden being a Seductive Temptress? There was no explanation in Troy's mind. No whatsoever. Gently running his finger over her bottom lip, bringing her closer, "What if I could change your mind?"

Without a warning, Troy placed his hand on her butt and she stayed there for a few minutes before her body became tense. From out of nowhere, she quickly scrambled away from him, backing herself into the corner of the room, "You can't!"

She looked terrified. She seemed to be staring at something behind Troy. He turned around and looked, but there was nothing there.

What was this sudden change of emotion? Was she going crazy?

They just looked at each other for what seemed like forever, but Gabriella was the first to rise to her feet, never breaking eye contact with Troy, "I'm sorry. I have to go," She said, walking towards the open window, "I should have left hours ago!"

Troy, racing to keep up with the change of scenery, stood up and followed her, grabbing both of her arms, "Gabriella! What is going on?"

She never looked at him. Instead she started crying.

Troy, unable to resist, took her into his arms, trying to comfort her, "You can tell me. I told you I'm not going to tell anyone, no matter how terrible it is."

Gabriella pushed away from him, untangling herself from his arms, "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

Taking a deep breath, Gabriella responded, "I told you everything you'll ever hear on the situation."

"You've told me nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"I've told her enough."

Before Troy could response, Gabriella jumped out of the window, and somehow, though Troy was never able to figure out, she survived the fall. A two-story fall! What else was this girl capable of doing? _Did she train herself to do that? Has she done that before? _Once she stood up, she did a quick check up on herself and her body to see if it all still functioned, she looked around worriedly, she opened the gate and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. She was a damn good runner too! Troy watched her until she disappeared into the black abyss.

It was difficult for Troy to fall asleep that night. He wanted to, but he couldn't. He'd close his eyes every once in a while, but something would always come to mind and wake him for almost-asleep-state. Late in the night, Troy looked at the clock, 4:30. _I might as well not ever go to sleep. _Turning on his I-phone he did was many bored teenagers do, they decide to write a random notepad. Opening the app, he was surprised to find a new one already there. He clicked on it:

_**You were right before**_

_**You were right about everything**_

_**Just because you were right doesn't mean you can help me**_

_**You can't help me.**_

_**And I appreciate you trying to understand**_

_**But you never will**_

_**I don't need saving**_

_**I don't need rescuing**_

_**But I **__**do**__** need…well, you're smart…you'll figure it out…**_

_**You won't understand it…but you'll figure it out**_

_**~ G.**_

_When the heck did she write this…_scrolling farther down the page, Troy came across another message.

_**Stay away!**_

_**There's nothing you can do!**_

Troy understood now. He knew why the window had been open. He knew why she got out of the closest. He knew why she had hidden. He knew why she'd tensed up unexpectedly. He knew what that loud bang was upon entering his room earlier…and he was staring it in the face. A silhouette of man and his eerie cat-green eyes…without double thinking it, Troy leapt out of bed, standing there, staring what seemed like death in the face.

**What do you think? REVIEW PLEASE! It would be appreciated!**


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